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According to the findings of a recently published study, ten percent of secondary public school teachers in the Czech Republic are considering leaving their profession due to growing harassment from students. But factors that contribute to the situation are manifold and often intrinsic to the education system.

Prague’s famous 15th century astronomical clock, known as Orloj in Czech, is one of the oldest and most elaborate clocks ever built and one of the city’s best known attractions. Few tourists leave Prague without seeing it. However the crowd that assembled to hear it chime last Sunday was in for a shock. Due to a technical error the procession of apostles that appears in the windows above the clock failed to make its usual exit – instead it was spinning like a crazy merry-go-round.

In a memorable moment of history, dissent and playwright Václav Havel was elected the first post-communist president of Czechoslovakia 20 years ago. His inauguration put the final seal on the country’s road to democracy. Two decades later, most Czechs believe Mr Havel’s role in the process was crucial.

2009 has been a rather mixed year for Czech sport. Perhaps the biggest single story was the national soccer team’s failure to reach the World Cup, despite having a relatively easy group on paper. The Czech men’s tennis team, meanwhile, went on a remarkable run in the Davis Cup, only to lose to Spain in the final. And in athletics, Barbora Špotáková took the Czech Republic’s only medal, silver in the women’s javelin, at the Athletics World Championships in Berlin.

The Czech Republic’s entry into the European Union facilitated free trade with other members of the bloc. That was good news for Czech businesses, though it can result in paradoxical developments. One of the best known Czech beers Pilsner Urquell often retails at lower prices in Germany than in the Czech Republic - leading Czech wholesalers to re-import one of their country’s most famous brews.

Under a new law that comes into effect on Monday, Czech firms and entrepreneurs will from now on find it far easier to provide all kinds of services in other European Union states. The EU directive behind the legislation does away with a lot of the paperwork that such cross-border work previously entailed.

On December 25th some 200 people gathered at Prague’s Vyšehrad cemetery to pay tribute to one of the greats of Czech literature – twentieth century writer Karel Čapek. Best known as a science fiction author, Karel Čapek was a writer of great scope whose legacy remains pertinent to this day.

The Šumava National Park and the Bavarian National Forest Park have begun a unique project to map the lives of elusive lynx inhabiting nature reserves on both sides of the border. Using special cameras, zoologists hope to learn more about the animals’ migration habits and other behaviour. The lynx is famously difficult to photograph up close; one reason why cameras at stations set up throughout the parks react to the slightest movement.

President Václav Klaus says that this term of office will be his last, even if the country introduces direct election of the head of state by 2013, when his current term ends. Few can imagine Czech politics without a man who has been one of its central figures, for better and for worse, for 20 years. To discuss the statement and the possible future of the president’s political career, I spoke with political analyst Petr Just, who I began by asking if he was surprised that the president doesn’t harbour ambitions for a third term.

Recent statistics have suggested that in the Czech Republic, pedestrians are almost twice as likely to die on Czech roads and streets as in other countries in the European Union. This year alone, 125 Czech pedestrians were killed after being hit by vehicles failing to stop. But why is the situation worse in the Czech Republic than in other European countries?